Russian TV series are no longer just classic “Cinderella” stories with an obvious ending and simulated drama. It seems like at some point it all came together: the emergence of streaming platforms that provide space for creativity, and with them new writers and bold ideas. So projects with the prefix “Made in Russia” began to replenish our personal top series worth watching. We’re talking about the best of the last five years.
“Trigger” (2018 – …)
A terrible tragedy forces the psychologist accustomed to treating patients with shock therapy to return to practice. An intense drama with an exciting plot starring Maxim Matveev.
IMDb score: 7.40
“They Kept the Women” (2019 – 2023)
A series of dramas with explicit scenes in almost every episode. In general, this is a story about secular Moscow society with its morals and rules, in which a girl from the province finds herself – after a mysterious murder, her life will change dramatically. Cast: Daria Moroz, Sofia Ernst, Marusya Fomina, Sergei Burunov, Alexandra Revenko and others. Interesting plot twists are guaranteed!
IMDb score: 6.00
“Be Happy” (2019 – …)
A talented doctor, a rich slacker, a good mother and other people whose life seems ideal only from the outside are in an endless search for an answer to the question of what happiness is. Comedy by Andrei Dzhunkovsky (“Better Than People”) with Shamil Khamatov, Marina Vasilyeva, Alexander Pal and others.
IMDb score: 6.50
“Difficult Teens” (2019 – …)
Which series is definitely worth watching for kids and their parents? The answer is in front of you. A popular football player, after being released from prison, becomes a coach at a center for difficult youth, not even knowing how difficult it will be to find a common language with children and what an important place they can take in his life. One of the most sensational TV series of recent years.
IMDb score: 6.90
“257 reasons to live” (2020 – …)
Comedy-drama about life from START, starring Polina Maksimova and Yegor Koreshkov. The main character battled a fatal disease for three years and emerged victorious. But it turns out that very few people need his health. After discovering a diary containing reasons for living in old things, he adds a new one – “to find love” and embarks on a quest for happiness.
IMDb score: 7.30
“The Last Minister” (2020 – 2022)
Comedy by Roman Volobuev with Yan Tsapnik. When active Evgeniy Tikhomirov is appointed minister of long-term planning, no one can even imagine what this will lead to. It turns out that the new minister is active and wants to change people’s lives for the better.
IMDb score: 7.00
“Call Center” (2020)
Sensational dramatic thriller of 2020 starring Yulia Khlynina, Pavel Tabakov and Vladimir Yaglich. In Moscow, terrorists took over the office of an adult store and forced captive employees to perform crazy tasks.
IMDb score: 6.80
“Chick” (2020)
The most talked about drama of 2020. Four sex workers in southern Russia (starring Irina Gorbacheva, Irina Nosova, Varvara Shmykova and Alena Mikhailova) dream of breaking with the past and opening a fitness club.
IMDb score: 7.60
“Dyatlov Pass” (2020)
Winter 1959, Ural Mountains. It was stated that the group of nine students, led by Igor Dyatlov, went for a walk to the snow-covered peaks and did not return, and the fate of the missing tourists is not yet known. In the historical crime thriller written by Valery Fedorovich, Major Oleg Kostin (Petr Fedorov) takes over the investigation of the case, discovering too many details that do not fit into any of the existing versions.
IMDb score: 7.70
“Psychopath” (2020)
Konstantin Bogomolov in the drama by Fyodor Bondarchuk based on the script of Paulina Andreeva (by the way, this is his first series). At the center of the plot is a metropolitan psychotherapist who looks successful, happily married and rich from the outside, but in fact he himself needs help.
IMDb score: 7.00
“Tenderness” (2020)
Victoria Isakova, Konstantin Khabensky, Evgeny Tsyganov, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Yulia Peresild, Ravshana Kurkova, Anna Mikhalkova and others in the comedy melodrama of Anna Melikyan. Elena Podberezkina, financial manager of a large company, meets the man of her dreams on a random business trip and unexpectedly loses him.
IMDb score: 7.40
“Unprincipled” (2020 – 2021)
What should you watch if you want to laugh? Very funny stories from the life of the inhabitants of the Patriarch’s Ponds, based on the stories of Alexander Tsypkin. And the main roles are played by a real star soldier: Pavel Derevyanko, Oksana Akinshina, Pavel Tabakov, Aglaya Tarasova, Maxim Vitorgan, Ingeborga Dapkunaite and others.
IMDb score: 6.30
Happy Ending (2021)
An intimate drama about the webcam world of Evgeny Sangadzhiev, which everyone watched in the spring of 2021. The leading roles include Lena Tronina, Alexander Gorchilin, Lyubov Tolkalina, Lukerya Ilyashenko and many others.
IMDb score: 7.20
“Vampires of the central region” (2021 – …)
One of the best TV series of 2021, the events of which take place in Smolensk. True, the city is not as ordinary as it seems: Vampires have lived here for centuries; Even though they allow themselves to hunt humans, they still sacredly abide by the agreement that requires guards to give one of their own for every murder. to apply. When bloodless children are found in a birch grove, the peaceful life of bloodsuckers is threatened.
IMDb score: 7.60
“Swamp” (2021)
Mystical utopia starring Ivan Yankovsky. Faced with unsolvable problems, five young Muscovites flee to a monastery near a half-abandoned village in the hope of escaping their worries, but the journey turns into a series of mysterious events.
IMDb score: 6.70
“Happiness Clinic” (2021)
Frank melodrama starring Daria Moroz. Alena Lipnitskaya, who heads a team of doctors, helps patients improve their personal lives using the author’s technique and shows by her own example the effectiveness of their chosen lifestyle, but one day the puzzle of a happy life collapses in an instant.
IMDb score: 6.30
“Mediator” (2021)
Dramatic thriller by Artem Aksenenko (“Container”) with Andrei Burkovsky, Yulia Peresild and Daria Moroz, who tried on an unusual image for the role. This is the story of a professional negotiator, trained at the Academy of Management of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, who also uses his talent for large enterprises, helping wherever people disagree. And he does it for a lot of money.
IMDb score: 6.70
“Container” (2021 – …)
Contrary to common practice, the surrogate mother moves into her clients’ home and finds herself in a world completely alien to her, in the mansion of a wealthy civil servant and his wife. For them, he is a new toy, but what at first seems like caring for an unborn child soon turns into challenges for each of the residents. Philip Yankovsky, Oksana Akinshina and Marusya Fomina in the drama written by Maxim Sveshnikov (“257 reasons to live”) and Artem Aksenenko (“Mediator”).
IMDb score: 6.80
“Food department” (2021 – …)
Fantasy thriller based on the novel of the same name by Alexey Ivanov. Strange events occur in the Soviet pioneer camp “Burevestnik” on the Volga: children mysteriously disappear at night and then return completely different from before.
IMDb score: 6.10
“Your Honor” (2021)
The main character is a judge, famous for his honesty and integrity, who has to make a deal with his conscience to save his son. Oleg Menshikov in the remake of the Israeli drama.
IMDb score: 7.10
“Karamora” (2022)
Pre-revolutionary Russia of the early 20th century, alternative reality. A young Russian anarchist loses his lover in a conflict with representatives of a secret organization and is now ready to do anything, even the most desperate actions, to avenge his lost love. A great thriller starring Danila Kozlovsky.
IMDb score: 6.00
“Identity” (2022)
Psychological thriller written by Vladlena Sandu with Lena Tronina. The plot is about an orphan working in a clothing market in Moscow, who falls in love with Aman Baimatov, who works there, and converts to Islam to become his wife. This is how she joins the Kyrgyz diaspora, but an unexpected development occurs in the events of the wedding: The groom’s brother tries to rape her, but the girl escapes and he is found dead soon after. The bride, who allegedly has the murder weapon in her purse, becomes the prime suspect in the case, and only the lawyer and the investigator accept her innocence.
IMDb score: 6.90
“The King and the Clown” (2023)
Maybe last spring’s main series. This is the story of one of the most famous Russian punk bands and its frontman Mikhail “Gorshka” Gorshenev – an honest drama about friendship, creativity and freedom starring Konstantin Plotnikov.
IMDb score: 7.10
“Living the Life” (2023)
Russian TV series with 18+ ratings entered the conversation. A frank dramatic thriller featuring Lyubov Aksenova and Roman Vasiliev, with whom it is impossible not to fall in love. 30-year-old Anya is an educated, successful and intelligent girl. Her husband’s tragic death did not break her, but it forced her to rethink her life and move on. She is in no hurry to start a new relationship, but until she meets a new chosen one, she builds her life as free and independent. Good examples of “red flags” are obvious.
IMDb score: 6.50
“Fisherman” (2023)
A crime thriller set in 1986 about the search for one of the most brutal serial killers in the history of the Soviet Union and Russia. The leading roles are played by Ivan Yankovsky and his brand “sho”, Alexandra Bortich, Alexander Yatsenko and others.
IMDb score: 6.70
Source: People Talk
Errol Villanueva is an author and lifestyle journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for exploring the latest trends in fashion, food, travel, and wellness, Errol’s articles are a must-read for anyone interested in living a stylish and fulfilling life.
